


Wakeful

by Natsumiya_Teirin



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, F/M, Human/Pokemon Relationship(s), M/M, Memory Loss, Mind Manipulation, Multi, No Sex, Platonic Relationships, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Rebellion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-17 07:40:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13072278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natsumiya_Teirin/pseuds/Natsumiya_Teirin
Summary: Sometimes, you dream, and when you dream, you cry, though you have no idea why. And when you cry, he makes you forget.It's terrifying.It's love, or so he'd have you believe.But what is love? What is fear?What is a mother? What is a friend?What is death?The cycle of dreams and memories is an endless one.But when oppression arises, so, too, does revolution.





	1. The Dreamer and the Revolution

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Falling Asleep](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/345858) by The DayDreaming. 



You wake up with a cry, grasping at phantom hands that've clasped themselves around your throat. It hurts, and you can't breath- you're choking on your own tears, and even in the dim lighting of the bedroom, you can still see him- that faceless person who makes every part of your body ache.   
And suddenly, N is there, holding you tightly, safely, his voice gentle and soothing as he murmurs sweet words into your ear.   
"It's okay, Touya," he says, "I am here. None of it is real, except you- you are real, and you are safe here, with me."   
His words bring you slowly back to reality. Yes. You are safe in N's castle- or as safe as you can be. You're safe from the monsters outside, and that should be all that matters.   
"Do you want to talk about your dream? I've read that it helps relieve the stress of nightmares in humans."   
You shake your head, because the truth of the matter is simply-  
"I can't remember...what it was about."   
He seems to smile, but you're tired and the light is dim, so you can't really tell.   
"I suppose that's fine. Perhaps it's for the best that you've forgotten."   
He leaves and you lay there in your bed, pondering, wondering what will happen tomorrow. It's likely you'll end up seeing Beheeyen again, as N makes you do whenever you show even a hint of desire to leave. But even if he makes you forget about it, it just comes back stronger. You really can't help it, though.   
You're missing something, and whatever it is, its absence has left a big, gaping void in your very heart, one that you're sure can be filled if you could only go outside. It's why those dreams, even if you can't remember them, leave you feeling so sad. Or, you think so, anyway. It plays a part in it, at least.   
You lose yourself in thoughts of mothers and friends and death- of questions you don't have answers for, and words you don't know the meanings of- and lie awake the rest of the night. 

* * *

You're not sure when you went to sleep, or if you ever did, but suddenly someone is knocking on your door, and the sound makes you much more aware of your surroundings. You don't feel like talking just yet, maybe in a minute or two, so instead of answering verbally, you clamber out of bed, still in your cotton pajamas, and cross over to open the door.   
Standing on the other side is a relatively new member of Team Plasma named...Cher, if you remember right. That name is one of the many other names and words that strike into your heart, and for some reason, you keep wanting to add an 'en' to the end of Cher's name.   
"Lord N has left the castle," Cher tells you, his voice coming across as flat and lifeless. "He is expected to return within a week from now."   
It's not unusual for N to step out, and it's not unusual for him to have members of Team Plasma go to inform you when he can't tell you himself, but it's usually something left to the older members- N doesn’t trust the newer ones as much, and though he never actually said as much, it's something you've picked up on. It's possible that some of the older members left with him, but even then, there'd usually be one left behind to look after you.   
In short, there's no reason why Cher would be there at all.   
And he's still here, come to think of it.   
Before you can say anything else, though, he stiffly looks around, then abruptly grabs your hand.   
"Come with me, Touya- you're not safe here!" He says, pulling you along. You're not entirely sure what he means, but you know that if you stay, you'll just forget again (and again, and again, and again), till you won't have anything left to forget.   
You let him guide you down the tower steps and through the halls, and further down into the basement below the kitchen.   
There is a tunnel there, supported by heavy wooden beams. Cher(en) leads you through the entrance then presses a button somewhere on the belt of his uniform.   
Then, you run, and somewhere behind you, the entrance to the tunnel collapses.  
You are free. 


	2. The Dreamer, The Fighter, And The Helper

The tunnel is dark, and at some point, you've angled your wrist and hand so that you're awkwardly holding Cher(en)'s wrist while he's tightly holding yours.   
You've stopped running some point after the entrance to the tunnel collapsed, and are now walking. There's nothing but the sound of your footsteps against the soft earth and the warmth of Cher(en)'s gloved hand over your wrist.   
In such darkness, you, with your black pajamas, would probably lose yourself if he ever let go.   
You've lost track of how long the two of you have been walking, but by the time the tunnel starts gradually sloping upwards, your feet are aching horribly- but you don't complain, because N has told you once that most humans don't like hearing complaints of something they're doing.   
The tunnel opens up into a chasm as you and Cheren step out from a rocky overhang. It's bright and dusty, and all the rocks and cliff faces here tower over you like giants. You feel as if you should recognize this place, but you don't remember having been here before. Though you think N might've mentioned a place like this in his stories, whenever he had the time to tell you stories, but even those memories are a bit hazy.   
"Let's take a break here," Cher(en) says, sitting down beside an especially large rock. You stretch your legs and smile at the popping sound your joints make before you sit down beside Cher(en).   
He pulls out a strange black object and punches in a string of numbers. The object starts vibrating for just a moment, and then a female voice comes out of it. You think to yourself that if you got closer, you could see her face, but that would make you uncomfortable, so you content yourself with just listening.   
"Cheren! Hi! You don't normally call at this time! What's up?"   
Oh. His name actually is Cheren after all. You knew you shouldn't've trusted your memories.   
The girl on the other end has a cheery, bubbly sort of voice, and like Cheren's, you remember it despite not remembering the owner of that voice, let alone what she might have ever said to you.   
Cheren takes a deep breath before answering her question.   
"Just as we thought, N left early this morning to deal with things in Driftveil."   
"Oookaaaayyyy, but we already knew he'd do that." There seems to be an unspoken question hanging there, but you don't know enough to actually tell what it is.   
Cheren sighs.   
"Apparently Touko did her job better than we thought. N took most of Team Plasma with him."   
"...oh. Okay then. Guess we'll have to start the evacuation a little earlier if we wanna get everyone out."   
Cheren nods, but the expression on his face looks troubled.   
"Before that, Bianca, there's something else...and that is...we were also right about N having taken Touya."   
It takes the girl, Bianca, a moment to speak, and when she does, her voice trembles.   
"I...is he okay? He's...he's not hurt...is he? Oh Arceus what'll we tell his mom!?"   
"Bianca. Bianca, Touya's fine. Er, physically, at least. Ignoring that he's been locked up in a castle for a few years. But...Bianca, he doesn't remember us. He doesn’t remember...anything."   
"So, then, he doesn’t even remember...?"   
Cheren shakes his head.  
"No. I'm sure he did, at some point. A few days after my initiation, I happened to overhear him asking N about them- or rather, if he had them."   
"What..." Bianca gulps, loud enough that even you can hear it, "What did N tell him?"   
Cheren's jaw tenses. He looks angry, but you don't know why, and it'd be...improper to ask.   
"He told him..." Cheren's voice comes out as more of a hiss, "he told him that he didn't. N told him that he was the only one who'd ever been there for him. He's been using that Beheeyen to mind rape our friend, then lied about it and manipulated him for at least these last few weeks! Maybe even longer!"   
You want to correct him- tell him that it's been a few years, rather than a few weeks. But you'd only become aware of your being made to forget certain things...a long while ago- you've lost track of time- but not long enough ago to have been a few years, you think.   
So you stay silent and listen as Bianca speaks again, her voice coming across to you as...choked, almost as if she's trying not to cry.   
"Cheren...is Touya with you right now? If...if N's gone, then...then you can get him out, right? So, he's with you..."   
Cheren nods, and he still looks tense, but he's smiling now, a soft smile that doesn’t even come close to his eyes.   
"Yes, Bianca. He's with me, and we just entered Giants' Chasm. We'll be heading down to Nuvema by foot, unless you want to bring Samurott and meet us at some point."   
"Got it! I'll bring Samurott and my Swanna, and Touya's Braviary, so we can all fly back," Bianca says, a little lighter.  
Samurott also means something to you, or so you notice as your heart twangs with Bianca's words.   
For a second, there's silence before Bianca speaks again, her voice sounding smaller now.   
"...can I talk to him?"   
Cheren nods and hands you the strange black device. The best way you can describe it is a 4 x 3 dialpad with a screen, currently displaying a girl with blonde hair and lively green eyes. She smiles at you, and you can't help but smile back, thinking you've seen her before.   
"Hi there, Touya," she says. "Do you remember me?"   
"N-no...I don't...sorry..." you say, and she frowns.   
"I didn’t think so," she says, sounding resigned. "But that's okay- I'm sure you'll remember everything, in time!" She finishes cheerfully. "I'm Bianca, and that guy with you's Cheren. Even if you did remember him, you probably wouldn’t recognize him without his glasses, and with that stupid red wig."   
She pauses a moment and her face brightens up a little more.   
"Hey, you probably wouldn't know since you've been with N all this time, but you had a Pokémonof your very own, just like us. He was an Oshawott when you got him, but now he's a Samurott. He really misses you, y'know. He'll be excited to see you!"   
A sudden screech comes from somewhere on the other end, and Bianca shakes her head.   
"Looks like I gotta go, but I'll try to talk to you again soon, k Touya? Byyyeeee!"   
She hangs up and the screen flashes to black. You give the device back to Cheren and watch as he slides it back into a pocket in his uniform.   
He stands up, and you make to follow suit until he stops you with a tut and a shake of his head.   
"Stay here," he says. "I've stashed a couple back packs here with food and some spare clothes, so I'm just going to retrieve them. I'll be back soon." 


	3. The Dreamer and Alleged Truths

     You're not quite sure how long you've been waiting, but eventually, Cheren returns holding two back packs, one red and one blue. He tosses the blue one to you and proceeds to open the red one. You follow suit and look inside the bag.  
     

     There are a couple bottles of water and some canned vegetables. There is also a set of clothes stored and compressed in a plastic bag. 

     "Might as well get dressed now, while we have a minute," Cheren says, already unbuckling the brown leather strap from his waist. You decide to take his advice and turn away so you can slip out of your slightly dirty pajamas. The slippers you had on aren't made for running, especially in caves and underground tunnels, but they're better than going barefoot, at least for now. You slip your feet back into them once you're redressed and put your pajamas in the bag before stuffing it back into the pack. 

     You turn back around and see that Cheren is already dressed and waiting for you. His hair is black now instead of red, and you think he looks much better this way. You slide your arms into the straps of the back pack and roll your shoulders as you feel its weight settle comfortably against your shoulder blades. 

     "Let's go." Cheren starts walking at a fairly quick pace, and you find yourself hard pressed to keep up. Having not been able to move around much while you were in N's castle, your stamina isn't that great, and you're still a little worn out from your trek through the tunnel. But still, you don't complain. 

     You consider asking Cheren about your past, but he beats you to it.

     "You know you actually do have a mother," he says after a moment of brisk walking, "and you have an older sister, too. I know N said you didn’t, but...he's not really a good source of information." 

     The words leave your mouth before you can stop them.

"What else has he lied to me about?" 

     Cheren slows down a little, so you can more easily keep up with him, and hums, perhaps in contemplation. 

"What else has he told you?" 

You take a moment to run through your memories of N- the ones that haven’t grown distorted and fuzzy anyway- before speaking.

"He told me...I could never go outside, because the other humans would hurt me." 

Cheren scoffs. "That's a lie. Though some other humans would probably hurt you if they had a chance, I and Biancaand all the humans we live with would never dream of it. We've been working hard to try and keep you safe." 

     You want to ask about that, but he cuts you off before you get a chance. 

"What else?" 

"Umm...he said that...the way he rules- that is, how he keeps humans separate from Pokémon- is...how it's always been." 

You look over and see Cheren roll his eyes.

     "Maybe it might've been that way at some point," he begins, "before humans found Pokémon. But since then, humans have worked together with them as friends and partners for thousands of years. Receiving a Pokémon and becoming a trainer is a part of growing up, and you were a trainer, too, along with me and Bianca." 

     He sounds truly incensed, but not at you, and you actually kinda want to keep listening to him rant, but something he said tugs at you. 

"I was...also a trainer? What Pokémon did I have?" 

     As you ask this, you notice his mouth curve into a small smile. It seems somehow bitter. 

     "You started off with an Oshawott," he answers. "He belonged to your father first, but he seemed to like you, too." He laughs a little here. "He never listened to you until he evolved into Samurott, but he was still very protective of you, and very affectionate. When Professor Juniper had us start catching Pokémon of our own, your Oshawott made nearly all the wild Pokémon run away in terror, and the one time you tried to stop him so you could catch an Audino, he just knocked it out instead." 

     You find yourself wanting to laugh, even though you can't really see the humor in this story. 

     "When you disappeared after the battle against N and Zekrom, he was devastated because he wasn’t with you, and even though you'd grown much stronger by that point, you were still..." he seems to be looking for the right words, but he finds them soon enough. 

     "You were still the kind of person- the kind of gentle, loving, and quiet person- that bad people would enjoy taking advantage of. And it looks as if N did exactly that." 

     You frown, a certain phrase echoing in your mind. You feel suddenly uneasy. 

"But...he said he loved me..." 

"Of _course_ he'd say that," Cheren says with a sigh. "But what he did...that isn't love at all. Bianca can explain it better, but...if you love someone, you don't just physically keep them from leaving you. And you don't just make them forget everything they've ever known, either. Rather than love, that's just selfish...and creepy." 

     You shiver, but Cheren's words make sense in your head. However...

"He'll be...he'll be really angry once he finds out I'm gone..." 

Cheren nods.

     "He will be. But that just goes to prove my point. Furthermore, Bianca and Touko have been worried about you for so long, once we get to them, they'll never let you go with that guy again. Especially once Bianca tells Touko about what he's done to your head," he adds, almost as an afterthought, it seems. 

"I see..." you nod. 

Cheren stops as a gate comes into view. 

     "We're approaching Lacunosa town. We can buy you a pair of actual shoes here, and perhaps something to hide your face." 

"Ah...okay." you agree with a nod.

 


End file.
